MBOK JAMU (Ms. Herbs)

JAMU is traditional (suspension) medicine in Indonesia, originally from Java island. It is predominantly herbal medicine made from natural materials, mostly from parts of the plants, such as roots, bark, flowers, seeds, leaves and fruits. occasionally taken with additional animal products, like raw egg yolk and honey or milk.

These herbal medicine are commonly sold throughout the country by Mbok Jamu, I would prefer to translate it in English as “Ms. Herbs”, young to middle-age Javanese woman in a traditional “kebaya” dress, roving around residence, local markets, recreational parks or even along the streets, carrying bamboo basket filled with bottles of jamu on her back, offering her self-made herbal medicine ingredients. They commonly starts offering their products from daybreak.

The herbal medicines had been known hundreds years or maybe thousand of years, then in 19th century produced largely by some family companies before pharmacy exist in our country. Now the technology has been applied to the processing of Jamu, so people can buy them in form of sachets or capsules. Nevertheless most people prefer the traditional one, fresh and no preservatives.

I learn so much from your posts. I think that there is a renewal of interest in these types of medicines as more information comes to light on how important herbs are in the healing of our bodies and minds..

We believe it is so important to put herbal medicine in the context of the healing of our bodies and minds. Plant medicine offering a powerful connection to knowing ourselves as intrinsically part of this earth.
A wider change on traditional medicine had happened throughout the world, many large pharmaceutical industries looked at how connection to traditional plant medicines is part of wider change needed to support and sustain health and vitality.